http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Topic: "Free WiFi for city centre in time for Christmas" en Thu, 21 May 2026 19:21:58 +0000 http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17091#post-240123 Tue, 03 Jan 2017 21:07:14 +0000 crowriver 240123@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"Should be on the tram poles like the main street lighting"</p> <p>Would the aerials not suffer from interference from the high voltage lines? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17091#post-240112 Tue, 03 Jan 2017 16:57:28 +0000 Klaxon 240112@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Unforgivably ugly </p> <p>Hopefully temporary for new year</p> <p>Should be on the tram poles like the main street lighting </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17091#post-240108 Tue, 03 Jan 2017 13:23:06 +0000 Fountainbridge 240108@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Not exactly a neat installation. Every historic lamp post on Princes Street</p> <p><a href="https://flic.kr/p/QDfkvb"><img src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/675/31926632392_5138051547_n.jpg"></a><a href="https://flic.kr/p/QDfkvb">161231110150IMG_7795</a> by <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/130059894@N04/">Paul fae Fountainbridge</a>, on Flickr </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17091#post-239672 Thu, 22 Dec 2016 21:01:55 +0000 Fountainbridge 239672@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Edinburgh free (so we can track you) WiFi published new maps this afternoon. Shows coverage to Princes Street. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17091#post-239669 Thu, 22 Dec 2016 20:23:00 +0000 jonty 239669@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I don't know whether it's officially meant to be there yet but there's definitely been wifi coverage on at least the eastern half of Princes Street for a little while. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17091#post-239663 Thu, 22 Dec 2016 18:22:28 +0000 mgj 239663@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Those with teenage children who try to manage their internet usage (so they actually get something out of school) will be pleased to note that it doesn't stretch up into most residential areas yet. But I bet the Council haven't thought of that. No option to request that that devices are blocked by MAC address for example. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17091#post-239642 Thu, 22 Dec 2016 14:43:30 +0000 Fountainbridge 239642@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I love how the advertising says to use free wifi in city centre whilst shopping. The free wifi doesn't actually cover princes street yet.</p> <p>Thud. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17091#post-239606 Thu, 22 Dec 2016 10:48:59 +0000 chdot 239606@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><a href="http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/our-region/edinburgh/city-centre/thousands-signing-up-for-free-city-centre-wifi-every-day-1-4323586" rel="nofollow">http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/our-region/edinburgh/city-centre/thousands-signing-up-for-free-city-centre-wifi-every-day-1-4323586</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17091#post-235185 Tue, 01 Nov 2016 13:46:53 +0000 acsimpson 235185@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><em>"Does it really matter if big shops track you? How can you avoid it? I mean they can track what you buy via your credit/debit card, loyalty card. They could potentially track you via CCTV and face recognition software.<br /> ...<br /> My concern would be if a government or foreign agency got hold of that data."</em></p> <p>I'm not sure there's much difference between Tesco tracking you around it's shop in order to try and increase the amount you spend with them and government tracking you around the city centre in order to increase footfall, or whatever they choose to do with the new found details. Both these organisations probably have far more personal information about me either through legal obligation or my willingness to surrender it in exchange for "Free" services.</p> <p>Any app on your phone which doesn't appear to have a stream of income (and some that do) are likely to be making their money by commoditising you. Facebook for instance stop you from accessing messages through a mobile browser in an attempt to force you to download their app so that they can then access your contacts, location and whatever else they can find on your phone.</p> <p>Google probably has a better idea of where you are then your closest family members and I'm sure can remember better where I was this time last month than I can. The offer some very useful free services using this data such as their real time traffic updates, however they are only doing this so that you keep feeding them the information. I don't know where they draw the line but I'm sure if a government agency approached them with enough money they would be happy to share a lot of (possibly anonymous data). Or alternatively start offering more targeted advertising on those large tellies which are appearing next to more and more roads.</p> <p>/EEN mode </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17091#post-235184 Tue, 01 Nov 2016 13:29:53 +0000 acsimpson 235184@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>fimm, is that from a cold start in a new area. If you turn it off today and on tomorrow it will start it's calculations on the assumption it hasn't moved and can then get a fix based on fewer satellites. If those first few satellites don't match where it thinks it is then it's likely to take much longer. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17091#post-235179 Tue, 01 Nov 2016 12:30:22 +0000 fimm 235179@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>BoF says that GPS traking does not use much battery life, especially if you put your phone into aeroplane mode. GPS tracking is improving all the time: my old GPS watch took an age to connect to the GPS signal while these days my new watch connects faster than my phone (which is oldish). </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17091#post-235177 Tue, 01 Nov 2016 12:16:30 +0000 Morningsider 235177@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>edd1e_h - call that running? Your GPS trace indicates a slow canter at best. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17091#post-235173 Tue, 01 Nov 2016 12:09:08 +0000 steveo 235173@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><em>It's web browsing that does the battery draining!<br /> </em></p> <p>Yeah the webs a real killer between the high drain from the screen and processor requirements.</p> <p>Actually I'm havering. I've got GPS on all the time too though not on active mode, when you fire up a tracking app like Strava then you notice the GPS. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17091#post-235171 Tue, 01 Nov 2016 12:08:18 +0000 Klaxon 235171@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Not just battery life, to get a GPS fix with no previous reference you need to sit for a few minutes in open air. With cell triangulation and wifi cross reference to help my phone has a high confidence value in less than 10 seconds. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17091#post-235169 Tue, 01 Nov 2016 12:05:54 +0000 dessert rat 235169@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>the problem with the tinfoil hats is they get very hot under a helmet. Not absorbent at all. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17091#post-235166 Tue, 01 Nov 2016 11:56:57 +0000 chdot 235166@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"you'll notice the battery's drop" </p> <p>Not sure if I have an app with 'live' battery monitoring (iPhone).</p> <p>I have GPS on all the time for various tracking apps and photo geotagging, battery generally lasts long enough to avoid 'recharging panic'.</p> <p>It's web browsing that does the battery draining! </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17091#post-235164 Tue, 01 Nov 2016 11:50:31 +0000 steveo 235164@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><em>Perhaps, but not conscious that GPS is a big battery drainer - esp compared with wifi pinging(?)<br /> </em><br /> Turn on GPS and go for a walk round town you'll notice the battery's drop. You'll have a very accurate trace for it. Do the same without GPS and you'll still get a pretty accurate representation of your route, though probably with more straight lines and sudden jumps. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17091#post-235163 Tue, 01 Nov 2016 11:49:12 +0000 neddie 235163@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Does it really matter if big shops track you? How can you avoid it? I mean they can track what you buy via your credit/debit card, loyalty card. They could potentially track you via CCTV and face recognition software.</p> <p>Should you wear a tinfoil hat &amp; a burka at all times?</p> <p>My concern would be if a government or foreign agency got hold of that data.</p> <p>Just playing devils advocate here.</p> <p>edd1e_h runs away... </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17091#post-235162 Tue, 01 Nov 2016 11:47:26 +0000 chdot 235162@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"It doesn't matter, Google and (probably) Apple never truly turn off wifi, it constantly pings around to give relatively accurate location without burning the battery on GPS."</p> <p>Perhaps, but not conscious that GPS is a big battery drainer - esp compared with wifi pinging(?) </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17091#post-235160 Tue, 01 Nov 2016 11:43:36 +0000 steveo 235160@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Do people really walk around with their wifi switched on?</p> <p>It doesn't matter, Google and (probably) Apple never truly turn off wifi, it constantly pings around to give relatively accurate location without burning the battery on GPS. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17091#post-235158 Tue, 01 Nov 2016 11:41:15 +0000 Morningsider 235158@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I walk around with someone else's wifi turned on - that'll teach 'em. Plus - I even had a family card before I had a family! </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17091#post-235156 Tue, 01 Nov 2016 11:39:13 +0000 Fountainbridge 235156@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Also why Ikea offers free wifi. Think they have repeaters every 10 meters so they can see how long you spend in a particular section.</p> <p>Do people really walk around with their wifi switched on? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17091#post-235155 Tue, 01 Nov 2016 11:38:55 +0000 chdot 235155@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"My phone's security software claims that Tesco wifi is dangerous"</p> <p>More than other free/public wifi? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17091#post-235153 Tue, 01 Nov 2016 11:32:44 +0000 amir 235153@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>My phone's security software claims that Tesco wifi is dangerous </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17091#post-235145 Tue, 01 Nov 2016 11:00:26 +0000 acsimpson 235145@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I'm pretty sure that's why tesco have free wi-fi. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17091#post-235116 Tue, 01 Nov 2016 09:29:38 +0000 Fountainbridge 235116@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>A great way to track people through the city center. </p> <p>If you have wifi switched on, your phone broadcasts a unique number (called a MAC address). Wifi spots have about a 100m range. </p> <p>You catch a number 10 bus from Granton (free wifi) so you are first logged on the bus. Then you alight on to St Andrews square, where your phone disconnects from LRT wifi and connects to the CEC hot spot in St Andrews Square. You then walk towards Princes street where you automatically connect to the Scott Monument hot spot. You then walk along to the art galleries when you transfer to the gallery hot spot. And so on. </p> <p>All this can be done perfectly legal without any court orders etc.</p> <p>Big Brother is watching and tracking you. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17091#post-235033 Mon, 31 Oct 2016 10:30:41 +0000 chdot 235033@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"</p> <p>He said: “The new free WiFi service across the city centre will connect visitors and residents to Edinburgh on a whole new level. </p> <p>“Rather than worrying about potentially expensive mobile roaming charges, international visitors will be able to make the most of their time in the city, sharing images and posts in real time as they explore what Edinburgh has to offer.”</p> <p>...</p> <p>IntechnologyWiFi will install and operate the WiFi network at no cost to the council, with funding provided by the UK government.</p> <p>"</p> <p><a href="http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/business/free-wifi-for-city-centre-in-time-for-christmas-1-4273297" rel="nofollow">http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/business/free-wifi-for-city-centre-in-time-for-christmas-1-4273297</a> </p>